Gakharia sets conditions for agreement with Lelo ahead of elections

Giorgi Gakharia, chairman of the For Georgia party and former Prime Minister, on Friday expressed his readiness to sign a general agreement with the Lelo party for the upcoming elections, contingent upon the acceptance of three key conditions by Mamuka Khazaradze’s party.

During a recent briefing, Gakharia emphasized the need for a “neutral platform” to achieve their collective electoral goals.

“A neutral platform is important to achieve the big goal we have. If Lelo agrees to these three principles—neutrality, parity, and a commitment not to form coalitions with either the Georgian Dream or the United National Movement after the elections—we will be ready to sign any document and pursue serious cooperation,” Gakharia said.

He reflected on the challenges of the negotiation process, admitting that starting discussions just a week before the submission of electoral lists was a mistake. Gakharia acknowledged that the talks had reached an impasse, stating, “Unfortunately, the original goal was lost in greed… The main goal became to blame the other party for the failure of the negotiations.”

Initially, the negotiations focused on the possibility of his party members participating in elections on the Lelo list. Gakharia has since proposed a “neutral platform” that he insists would not favor either party. However, with the deadline for party registration with the Central Election Commission having passed, he did not clarify which registered
party he referred to as a “neutral party.”

In response, Khazaradze indicated his willingness to sign the original agreement, expressing disappointment that discussions had stalled. “I am still willing to sign the original agreement. Due to the failure of this agreement, Gakharia will have to explain himself to the supporters of this process,” he remarked.

The discussions between the two opposition leaders began on September 17 after the calls from President Salome Zourabichvili, and despite several meetings since then, no agreement has been reached.